Sanzenin Forest Wallpaper

This is the wallpaper that I am currently using. I took it on a trip to Kyoto where I had another chance to drop by Sanzenin. I love the forests there as well as the more cultivated gardens. I hope that you find it as relaxing as I do!

If you click on an image it will open at full size. After the image loads, right-click and download the wallpaper. As it is quite large (5120×3200 pixels) it might take a few seconds to load on slower connections.

Kyoto Wallpaper 2014

Using some of the photos that I took on my Kyoto trip this year (2014) I have put together some high-resolution wallpaper for people to use if they like. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do!

Top of a Wall in Gion

Kimonos in Motion

Bamboo Wall in Gion

Looking Through Sanzenin

Figure in Sanzenin

Gion at Night

Kiyomizu-dera

If you click on an image it will open at full size. After the image loads, right-click and download the wallpaper. As they are quite large (5120×2880 pixels) they might take a few seconds to load on slower connections.

Kyoto and Nara Trip 2014

While my father was visiting Japan last month we took a trip to Kyoto and Nara. It was nice to just wander around at our own pace, enjoy the ambiance and snap a few photos. We visited some place that I have been before and a few new ones. Kyoto is a great place to just explore, and unlike most Japanese cities it is quite friendly to navigate, having those fancy named streets laid out in square blocks 😉 I do look forward to going back again sometime, perhaps in the spring or the fall.

Fall Wallpaper 2013

Fall Grass Red PandaThis fall I did not get any good photos of changing leaves in 2013 as the weather was not really right for it so I have been using these two photos I took as my wallpaper this fall. The panda photo is actually over a year old, but it is just so nice!

If you click on an image it will open at full size. After the image loads, right-click and download the wallpaper. As they are quite large (3200×2000 pixels) they might take a few seconds to load on slower connections.

Hakusan Shrine Nerima Festival 2013

Hakusan Shrine FestivalIt is August here in Japan and that means that it is now festival season. There are many types of festivals, some for religious reason, some for sporting events and others just to blow fireworks up. Not really being one for large crowds of packed sweaty trains, I tend to avoid most of the big festivals in Tokyo but I still enjoy seeing the lights and other arrangements made to liven things up. Last night while Yoko and I wandered towards home we noticed that one of the local shrines, Hakusan Shrine Nerima (練馬区の白山神社) was just shutting down for the night. I liked having a chance to just enjoy the beautiful lanterns in peace.
 

Some Photos from June and July 2013

I do often post on Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Google+ but for those of you who do come and visit my site on a regular basis I thought that I should post some photos from June and July.

I tend to pick up photography on occasion and go with it for a while, often as seasons change (for spring blossoms or fall leaves) and when I go travelling, but sometimes I just take it up just for the sake of enjoying the medium. I am fond of a casual snapshot style that grabs moments of my daily life or of things that appear to me. Lately I have really been into casual snapshots both with my Fujifilm Finepix X100 and my Canon EOS 5D Mark II. I also grab pictures with my iPhone when out on rides but I really do prefer to use one of my other cameras when I have a chance.

I hope that you will enjoy this small collection of recent photos!

Shinjuku Gyoen Hanami 2013

Today Yoko and I decided to go and check out the flowers at Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑). Hanami has come a bit early in 2013, and it looked like it has already passed its peak in the park. Although it was not too crowded, it was not really the best day for wandering around and taking photos as the weather was both overcast and bright. I did get a few nice shots of some of the flowers in the park. I hope that you can enjoy them!

 

Some Desktop Wallpaper I Use

I often prepare my own desktop wallpaper for use on my Retina MacBook Pro as I love the way my photos look on the high-res display. Some of the images I often use are family related and are not really for distribution, but I do have a lot of neutral ones that are fine for the public.

If you have a few moments, please feel free to browse the images below and use any of them for your desktop wallpaper!

If you click on an image it will open the gallery in your browser. You can select “View full size” below the photo you would like to use as wallpaper to open it at full size in a new window. After the image loads, right-click and download the wallpaper. As they are quite large (3200×2000 pixels) they might take a few seconds to load on slower connections.

Animals! (2012 Edition)

I have always loved animals of all kinds, and have also felt a bit saddened by seeing animals caged, regardless of how well treated and how important it can be to raise support for animal awareness. Conversely, I am always happy to see creatures that I would otherwise have little or no opportunity to see with my own eyes. Please enjoy some of the photos I took at the Ueno Zoo, the Sunshine Aquarium and the Natural History Museum in Tokyo.